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New Yorkers Sweat It Out at Waterfront Sauna Fest

Source: nytimes.com

TL;DR

A New York Times Sketch Pad feature on New Yorkers visiting the Culture of Bathe-ing sauna festival at Domino Park.
Reporter Sarah Bahr and illustrator Vidhya Nagarajan sketched brave attendees in swimsuits amid cold weather and snow.
Captures the festival's appeal as a sunny escape during a harsh winter stretch.[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/section/arts/design)[[2]](https://levycreative.com/vidhya-nagarajan-new-yorkers-soak-up-the-sauna-for-the-new-york-times)

The story at a glance

The article features reporter Sarah Bahr and illustrator Vidhya Nagarajan visiting the Culture of Bathe-ing Festival, America's largest sauna event, at Domino Park on the Williamsburg waterfront. They sketched and quoted attendees braving cold weather in swimsuits to enjoy the pop-up sauna village. It appears now, shortly after the festival ended on March 1, 2026, to highlight winter wellness trends in New York.[[3]](https://www.facebook.com/groups/1415979591904549/posts/3296508000518356)[[1]](https://www.nytimes.com/section/arts/design)

Sauna culture has surged post-pandemic, with events like this drawing crowds for health and social benefits.

Key points

Festival ran February 12 to March 1, 2026, at Domino Park, featuring multiple saunas, guided sessions by Aufguss champions, and free public workshops.[[3]](https://www.facebook.com/groups/1415979591904549/posts/3296508000518356)[[4]](https://www.timeout.com/newyork/news/the-largest-sauna-festival-in-nyc-is-bubbling-up-next-month-012826)
Organized by Culture of Bathe-ing, led by Robert Hammond (High Line co-founder, Therme Group US president), blending wellness, art, and performances with Pioneer Works.[[5]](https://insider.fitt.co/press-release/culture-of-bathe-ing-brings-americas-largest-sauna-festival-to-the-williamsburg-waterfront)
Attendees donned swimsuits and towels, moving between saunas despite snow piles and chilly air, seeking warmth and connection.[[2]](https://levycreative.com/vidhya-nagarajan-new-yorkers-soak-up-the-sauna-for-the-new-york-times)
Featured sketches of "brave bathing-suited sauna-goers," including Sauna Kat in her fur hat, with quotes capturing the festive mood.[[6]](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWfGdI4RECX)
Print version ran on page 2 of the Arts & Leisure section, under "Sketch Pad," a regular NYT feature with illustrations and observations.[[6]](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWfGdI4RECX)

Details and context

The Culture of Bathe-ing Festival marked NYC's first major public sauna event, transforming the waterfront into a "sauna village" with ticketed sessions ($60-$125) and over 1,000 free tickets for accessibility. It emphasized bathing as cultural ritual, drawing from Finnish saunas, Japanese onsen, and local bathhouses like Bathhouse and Othership.[[4]](https://www.timeout.com/newyork/news/the-largest-sauna-festival-in-nyc-is-bubbling-up-next-month-012826)[[7]](https://nypost.com/2026/02/12/health/inside-nycs-new-bathing-festival-with-15-specialized-saunas)

Bahr and Nagarajan visited late in the run, amid lingering cold, to document the contrast of steamy saunas against winter chill—people in minimal attire trudging through snow for the heat. This fits a broader rise in communal bathing post-COVID, promoted for health science like improved circulation and stress relief, plus social bonding.[[7]](https://nypost.com/2026/02/12/health/inside-nycs-new-bathing-festival-with-15-specialized-saunas)

The Sketch Pad format keeps it light: on-site drawings and snippets from real visitors, not deep analysis.

Key quotes

No direct quotes from the article are publicly available due to paywall; secondary mentions note "brilliant quotes from those who braved the cold."[[8]](https://cultureofbathing.substack.com/p/bathing-on-the-front-line)

Why it matters

Sauna festivals like this signal bathing's shift from private luxury to public cultural staple in cities, much like yoga's rise decades ago. For New Yorkers, it offers a cheap, communal way to fight winter blues amid rising wellness interest. Watch if Therme Group expands bathhouses locally, though plans remain early.[[5]](https://insider.fitt.co/press-release/culture-of-bathe-ing-brings-americas-largest-sauna-festival-to-the-williamsburg-waterfront)